This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

Tree-canopy shade routes: Todd Irvine’s Big Idea

Todd Irvine has a great idea about environment: Ensure shade and a cool, UV-ray protective cover over our heads by following tree-canopy shade routes along residential and commercial streets

Mon., July 7, 2014

Name: Todd Irvine

Issue: Environment: We need clean air and water but green spaces are important too …

What’s the big idea: What if Toronto had shade routes: corridors of tree canopy, mapped out like our bus routes and bike lanes? Large shade trees are constantly pumping cool water from the ground up into their leaves, creating a cool, protective cover over our heads. On a hot summer’s day, when the sun is beating down, people would be able follow these routes to ensure they would always be in shade. Children could follow the routes to and from school protected from harmful UV rays.

Shade routes would follow tree-lined residential and commercial streets and pass through our city’s many ravines and parks. A map, or handy app, could allow users to determine the most direct route to their desired destination.

How will the big idea work: Many shade routes already exist; they just need to be identified. Mapping routes would establish gaps in the tree canopy, making it easier for the city and local residents to work together to plant trees in those areas. Resources could also be used to better maintain the mature shade trees that already exist.

Article Continued Below

Stores could advertise that they are located on a shade route. Residential blocks could be awarded certificates congratulating them for reaching shade-route status.

Studies have found that the temperature in the shade of a tree can be up to 14 degrees Celsius cooler than that above nearby unshaded asphalt. But shade routes will do more than protect pedestrians from the sun; they’ll help reduce energy demands of nearby buildings, filter air pollution, manage stormwater, increase property values and make our city more beautiful.

Shade routes will increase awareness of the benefits of trees in all areas of the city. The ultimate goal would be to make every sidewalk and recreational path in Toronto a shade route.

How much will your big idea cost, and how would it be funded: The creation of shade route maps could be a community-building exercise done by neighbourhood volunteers. The city of Toronto already has a program to plant free trees on the city-owned portion of residential front yards. Business Improvement Associations and park groups could also get involved in helping to create shade routes along commercial streets.

Delivered dailyThe Morning Headlines Newsletter

The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please contact us or see our privacy policy for more information.

More from the Toronto Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com